Stage 11

This month’s blog is about similes and metaphors. A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things using words such as «like» or «as». Metaphors resemble similes, but they suggest a comparison between two things without using connecting words such as «like» or «as». We use similes and metaphors a …

You may encounter Cockney Rhyming Slang and its many variations mainly in England and Australia. It is not very common in the US. The origins of this form of the language dates back to the early 19th century. It was originally used by traders so they could talk to each other without their customers understanding …

‘Synecdoche’ and ‘metonymy’ are not words that one often hears. Yet we are presented with examples of both of these intriguing literary devices on a regular basis. Synecdoche is the use of part of a thing to represent its whole or, conversely, using a whole to represent a constituent part. The former is called ‘microcosmic …

Stage 9 Stage 10 Stage 11 A modo de referencia, los Phrasal Verbs podrían equivaler a ciertos verbos castellanos que en presencia o ausencia de una preposición cambian radicalmente de significado (estar ≠ estar en ≠ estar con; pasar ≠ pasar de ≠ pasar por; dar ≠ dar a ≠ dar con, etc.). Por ejemplo: …

Stage 9 Stage 10 Stage 11 Here are some common words that are often mistaken for each other when either spoken or written.   STATIONARY and STATIONERY We use stationary for something that is not moving and we use stationery for writing materials.   YOKE and YOLK We use yoke for a wooden crosspiece to …

Let’s start with the most popular expression in Ireland; «what’s the craic?» This means «what is going on?» or «how is it going?». The word ‘craic’ is Irish for ‘fun’ but we use it in this context to ask somebody how things are or what is happening. We generally use it to greet a person, …

There are two main types of morpheme in English: ‘free’ morphemes and ‘bound’ morphemes. ‘Free’ morphemes can be used on their own, in much the same way that a main clause makes sense on its own (whereas a subordinate/dependent clause does not). For example, the definite article ‘the’ is a morpheme as well as being …

When you are doing a composition you should plan it beforehand and then take your time when writing it. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to rush through it and not pay enough attention to what you are writing. Remember that you are learning a new language and it is quite different …

Take “get in” for example. We can use this as an imperative, such as a mother telling her child to get in out of the rain. Or maybe to tell someone to “get in” to a car. But it can also be used as a ‘prepositional’ verb meaning to gather in or to bring in …

Stage 9 Stage 10 Stage 11 This week´s blog is about common mistakes. When we are learning a new language we are bound to make a lot of mistakes, but this will happen less frequently as we progress in our studies. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is using false friends in a …